“Hugging a cow”: the curious initiative of the Indian government to celebrate Valentine’s Day and differentiate itself from the West

The government of India unveiled a suggestive proposal for February 14thSaint Valentine: hugging cows instead of having a romantic evening.

In the most populous country in the world, cows are sacred for the characteristics of the animal and for the benefits of the milk it provides, all part of the Dharma, a central concept in the religion of that Asian region.

Taking advantage of his divine character and intending to promote Hindu values, the Animal Welfare Council of India He called to spend February 14 as close to domesticated cattle as possible.

“We want to encourage people not to forget our culture, therefore, If you want to celebrate Valentine’s Day, you should do it like Hug a Cow Day.‘,” Deputy Council Secretary Prachi Jain said.

In the West, on the other hand, Valentine’s Day means for couples a day in which romantic dinners, gifts, chocolates, flowers and other manifestations of affection are usually shared.

From Asia, the intention is to differentiate yourself and rediscover your own.

The organization, already sixty years old, seeks to defend traditions “on the verge of extinction due to the progress of Western culture”.

From there, they ensured that cows are the “backbone of Indian culture and its rural economy” and so on hugging a cow attracts “immense benefits”, increasing “individual and collective happiness”.

The official indicated that the decision had the approval of the Ministry of Fisheries, Livestock and Dairy Products. The largely predominant religion, Hinduism, prescribes moral obligations such as truthfulness, abstention from harming living beings, patience, tolerance, self-restraint, and compassion, among others.

In India, the AP news agency reports, The Valentine’s Day holiday has been the target of attacks and boycotts by far-right Hindu and religious groups, who consider him a foreigner. They even did “moral brigades” to prevent young lovers from celebrating the date.

Thus, in recent years, conservative Hindus have attacked shops in Indian cities, burned postcards and gifts, and persecuted couples holding hands in restaurants and parks, claiming that Valentine’s Day encourages promiscuity.